Petra's Healing Journey

Just over two months after asking for an ultrasound, my appointment finally came through. It’s taken a couple of weeks every other time. Seems almost pointless now.

My motivation behind asking for one was to see if the DCIS had progressed since I stopped taking my alternative treatments and become invasive. If it had, I would have proof that my treatments had been keeping it from spreading, and I would have started them again to prevent it from getting any worse. But it’s only a couple of weeks now until my surgery, so it won’t make a lot of difference.

I feel pretty much prepared for surgery on the 14th May which has now been confirmed. I have most of what I need, my big sister has been brilliant. She’s very good at acquiring stuff! She’s got me mastectomy pillows, as well as a wedge and maternity pillow that I’ll need for sleeping sitting up, as I won’t be able to lie down for the first few weeks. I’m very grateful.

The surgery will take around eight hours with three surgical teams. Kenny, my breast surgeon, will remove my boob and a piece of my third rib, so that they can reconnect the blood vessels. Ewa is the plastic surgeon I delayed my surgery for, because she rebuilt my sister’s best friend’s boobs and did an excellent job. She will rebuild my boob with the ‘eye-shaped’ piece of belly that the second plastic surgeon will remove. I will then be stitched and stapled from hip to hip.

For the following few days I’ll have drains in to release the fluid build-up and I’ll be catheterised and won’t be able to get out of bed.

The recovery time is twelve weeks. No lifting, no housework. Apparently it takes a long time for the swelling to subside, sometimes up to a year. I’ll be wearing floaty dresses and baggy dungarees for the foreseeable future.

I had two rechargeable fans delivered today, one that goes round my neck and a hand-held one, as apparently the ward is kept really warm so that the blood vessels attach well. If it’s cold they constrict which prevents healing. I’ll have heated blankets as well for the same reason, which I’m not looking forward to, I don’t like sleeping in a warm room and I have hot flushes at night even with the window open and a fan on, which I won’t be allowed. I’ll be sweltering 🥵

I’ll be at St John’s in Livingston, where apparently the staff are wonderful but the food is dire. My visitors have been primed and have promised to keep me well stocked with tasty morsels.

Planning a few days up north soon. My friend and neighbour who I’ve been going down to the Solway Coast with recently, has just bought a holiday home near Blairgowrie. It’s really beautiful up there, so I’m looking forward to having some time away from the city to relax and unwind.

So nice to see the sun. It’s supposed to be 18° on Friday. Happy daze! ☀️